Hormonal influences on erythrocyte catechol-O-methyl transferase activity in humans

Briggs, Maxine

doi:10.1007/bf01926474

Cited by 52 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…The same group later showed that the estrogen-mediated decrease in COMT mRNA was accompanied by a proportional decrease in COMT immunoreactivity and activity (Jiang et al, 2003). This inhibitory regulation by estrogens is consistent not only with the normal sex differences in COMT activity noted above, but with evidence that women with high estrogen states (eg on the combined oral contraceptive, or in the third trimester of pregnancy) have higher COMT activity than other women (Briggs and Briggs, 1973). In postmenopausal women, estrogen levels fall dramatically, to substantially below that of men of the same age (Bjornerem et al, 2004); it would be of interest to know if sexual dimorphisms in COMT activity (or its genetic associations) present in younger adults are lost or reversed in the elderly.…”

Section: Mechanisms Of Sexual Dimorphism In Comt Effects and Associatsupporting

confidence: 65%

Catechol-O-Methyltransferase (COMT): A Gene Contributing to Sex Differences in Brain Function, and to Sexual Dimorphism in the Predisposition to Psychiatric Disorders

Harrison

Tunbridge

2007

Neuropsychopharmacol

278

217

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Sex differences in the genetic epidemiology and clinical features of psychiatric disorders are well recognized, but the individual genes contributing to these effects have rarely been identified. Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), which metabolizes catechol compounds, notably dopamine, is a leading candidate. COMT enzyme activity, and the neurochemistry and behavior of COMT null mice, are both markedly sexually dimorphic. Genetic associations between COMT and various psychiatric phenotypes frequently show differences between men and women. Many of these differences are unconfirmed or minor, but some appear to be of reasonable robustness and magnitude; eg the functional Val 158 Met polymorphism in COMT is associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder in men, with anxiety phenotypes in women, and has a greater impact on cognitive function in boys than girls. Sex-specific effects of COMT are usually attributed to transcriptional regulation by estrogens; however, additional mechanisms are likely to be at least as important. Here we review the evidence for a sexually dimorphic influence of COMT upon psychiatric phenotypes, and discuss its potential basis. We conclude that despite the evidence being incomplete, and lacking a unifying explanation, there are accumulating and in places compelling data showing that COMT differentially impacts on brain function and dysfunction in men and women. Since sex differences in the genetic architecture of quantitative traits are the rule not the exception, we anticipate that additional evidence will emerge for sexual dimorphisms, not only in COMT but also in many other autosomal genes.

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Section: Mechanisms Of Sexual Dimorphism In Comt Effects and Associatsupporting

confidence: 65%

Catechol-O-Methyltransferase (COMT): A Gene Contributing to Sex Differences in Brain Function, and to Sexual Dimorphism in the Predisposition to Psychiatric Disorders

Harrison

Tunbridge

2007

Neuropsychopharmacol

278

217

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“…They suggested that estrogen may interact with COMT activity. It has been reported that estrogen inhibits COMT mRNA expression and reduces its activity (Xie et al, 1999;Jiang et al, 2003), consistent with an Sex, COMT and personality C Chen et al earlier study showing that women with high estrogen levels had lower COMT activity than other women (Briggs and Briggs, 1973). Moreover, there is evidence that COMT has an important role in metabolizing catechol estrogens and thereby lowering its levels (Creveling, 2003).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 56%

Sex Modulates the Associations Between the COMT Gene and Personality Traits

Chen

Moyzis

Dong

et al. 2011

Neuropsychopharmacol

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Previous research has shown inconsistent findings regarding the relations between the functional Val158Met polymorphisms of the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene and individual differences in personality traits. This study attempts to overcome some of the weaknesses of previous research, namely, small sample sizes, clinical samples, ethnic stratification, wide age ranges, neglecting sex differences, and single measures of personality traits. A large sample (n ¼ 556, 250 male, 306 female) of healthy Chinese college students (mean age ¼ 20.5 ± 1 years) was given a battery of personality scales, including the temperament and character inventory-revised, the behavioral inhibition system and behavioral approach system scale, the Beck depression inventory, and the Beck anxiety inventory. Factor analysis of the affect-related personality traits revealed two factors that corresponded to positive (PEM) and negative emotionality (NEM). We found a consistent COMT-by-sex interaction effect on affect-related personality traits. Compared with males with Met/Met alleles, males with Val/Val alleles showed significantly higher scores on NEM, but lower scores on PEM. Females, however, showed an opposite but nonsignificant pattern. Our results supported the role of the COMT gene in personality traits for males and contributed to the growing literature on sex differences in gene-behavior connections.

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“…It has been reported to be altered in affective illness (17) and to be lowered markedly by oral contraceptives (18). We therefore also studied RBC COMT in women suffering from premenstrual syndrome.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%